Also consider intangible factors, says Shen-Miller. He had
an offer from another university that was substantially more
than Tennessee State’s initial offer, for example, but went with
Tennessee State anyway. “For many folks — including my
family and me — an area’s diversity is absolutely a big factor,”
he says. “That made coming to this particular university and
to Nashville more attractive.” And keep in mind that the
people you’re negotiating with now are the same people you’ll
be working with later. “How the negotiation process goes —
in terms of being treated fairly and collegially — goes a long
way toward setting the tone for your, and everyone else’s,
future working relationships,” he says.

Be sure to get everything — down to the last detail — in
writing, adds Shen-Miller. “Someone might say, ‘Don’t worry,
we’ll get you a new computer as soon as you get here,’ but
sometimes things change, whether it’s finances, leadership or
other factors,” he says. To make sure you and your new employer
share the same understanding of the offer, you might consider
sending an email laying out what you agreed on and asking for
confirmation that your understanding is correct, he says.

Be casual, not confrontational

“One phrase recruiters like more than any other in negotiationrequests is, ‘Is there wiggle room?’” says Lewis C. Lin, MBA,author of the 2015 book “Five Minutes to a Higher Salary: Over
60 Brilliant Salary Negotiation Scripts for Getting More.” “It’s notconfrontational; it’s breezy and conversational.” Plus, he says, it’seasier to answer than a question about whether they can offera higher salary, better benefits and the like. “When you get intothose kind of details, they may have to get approval or may notknow what can be negotiated and what can’t be,” he says. “‘Wiggleroom’ is a yes/no question: It doesn’t put people on the spot.”And remember that you both want the same thing, addsWashburn. “You’ve got to remember that the institutionwants you as much as you want them,” he says, addingthat the chair is trying to consider both recruitment andretention — including promotion and tenure — even inthese initial negotiations. “The job negotiation represents theorganization’s last opportunity to convince an applicant toaccept its offer: You’re it!” n